The Latest: Report: Nature in worst shape in human history

A new United Nations science report says nature is in trouble and 1 million species of plants and animals are at risk of going extinct

The Latest on a report on the threat of extinction for the Earth's plants and animals (all times EDT):

7 a.m.

Scientists say nature is in more trouble now than at any other time in human history, with extinction looming over 1 million species of plants and animals.

That's the key finding of the United Nations' first comprehensive report on biodiversity.

The report was released Monday and says species are being lost at a rate tens or hundreds of times faster than in the past. More than half a million species on land lack sufficient habitat for long-term survival and are likely to go extinct, maybe within decades. The oceans are not any better off.

Researchers say the problem traces back to humanity but it's not too late to fix it.

Conservation scientists from around the world convened in Paris to issue the report, which exceeded 1,000 pages.

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Midnight

Top scientists will tell the world Monday how bad off Mother Nature is.

The United Nations plans to issue its first comprehensive scientific report on biodiversity. The report will look at the threat of extinction for Earth's plants and animals and what it means for humanity.

Scientists from around the world have been meeting in Paris for the past week to come up with an authoritative statement. The summary from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has to be approved unanimously by more than 100 nations.

When the meeting started, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay told negotiators the report will force the world to face the dramatic degradation of biodiversity and come up with solutions.